Electromagnetically operated setting mechanism



Sept. 5, 1939. FORD 2,172,061

ELECTROMAGNETICALLY OPERATED-SETTING MECHANISM I Filed July 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR EUGENE A FORD BY l v A'i'TORNEY Sept. 5, 1939. v E F 2,172,061

ELECTROMAGNETICALLY OPERATED SETTING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 23, 1936 72 mmzm,

ATTORNEY Fatented Sept. 5, "i939 ELECTROMAGNETIOALLY OPERATED SET- TING MECHANISM 1 Eugene ArFord, Scarsdale, N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines (lorporation New York, N. .Y., a corporation of New York Application July 23,1936. Serial No. 92,100

11 Claims. (01. 235-92) This invention relates to improvements in electrO-magneticaHy operated operating mechanisms for setting wheelsor the like so as to attain high speeds in' machine operations. 6 It has heretofore been the practice to cause the initiation'of the operation of an operating mechanism for a settable wheel by an electrb-magnetic means which is rendered operative by an electrical circuit which is closed when a card perforation is encountered. Due to the short time of the impulse transmitted it has been necessary to merely release the operating mechanism for the settable wheel by the electro-magnetic means and cause the operating mechanism to frictionally drive the wheel at a certain speed of operation and independent of the speed of analyzing the perforation. However, such an arrangement is not particularly adapted for very high speed machine operations, approximating nearly a thousand control records a minute.

The present invention has for its object the provision of an electro-magnetically operated operating mechanism operable independently of the driving means and which is capable of efi'ecting the operation of the settable wheel at a rate independent of the rate of electrically analyzing the card perforation.

Due to the obvious requirement that standard cards with oblong perforations must be utilized 30) for control purposes it was not possible to completely energize an electro-magnet which operates mechanism for directly operating a wheel at-the high speeds mentioned. For such operations large electro-magnets were'required and the short time of the analyzing operation did not, permit their full energization;

A relatively important object of the invention is the attainment of the end that permits the use of electrical-relays which require little current for energization and are fast in operatiton.

erating mechanism and this is efliciently provided for by adjusting certain mechanism to lengthen "or shorten the time required to; open the relay contacts.

While the. operating mechanism for the settable wheel operates the wheel a half step during the initial stroke and a half step during the return stroke, obviously it would be possible to cause a units step of movement of the wheel by either stroke. While the mechanism employed is illustrated in connection with operating mechanism for a unit counter with similar advantages the improvements could be incorporated'in operating mechanisms for accumulators, or other types of regis- 1Q tering mechanism and the like, and the disclosure should be merely viewed as illustrative and not restrictive.

tails of the improved counter operating mech-.,

anism.

Fig. 4 ma view in front elevation of a portion of a counter.

In the improved arrangement the energization of the relay causes the closure of relay contacts and the latter close the circuit to the wheel setting control electro-magnet and suflicient time is given for its complete energization due to the provision of retaining the relay contacts closed. When the operating mechanism for the settable wheelis given a half stroke of operation, by

opened, thereby causing the deenergization of the wheel setting control magnet, and the operating mechanism is then restored to normal.

It is a further object to devise a timing control mechanism which controls the speed of operation of the electro-magnetically operated o p- In'Fig. 1 the record to be sorted is designated by numeral land a plurality ofsuch records which are to be sorted are fed singly by a picker knife-and the usual feedrollers to an analyzing brush 22.

Referring to Fig. 1 the current supply is shownat l5 and is connected to the line wires I6 and H by a hand operated switch H3. The supply is. preferably direct current. Closure of the switch 40 I8 will connect the driving motor 89 across theiine wires "5 and ii to cause the rotation of the 'drive shaft i3a by said motor.

Fromthe line side It a wire 20 is connected to card lever operated contacts 2| which are opened when a record is not beneath the analyz-' ing brush 22. The brush- 22 makes contact through the perforation in thesingle column be- ,suitable connections the relay contacts are I ing-analyzed and with a roller 23 because as the separates the brush from the roller so that if current is now supplied to the brush it will not C se a circuit of a control relay. A commutator device supplies current to the brush for a short duration of time as each succeeding index point Against'the cylinder 23 a brush bears and the latter is connected by a wire 25 to a resistance R and by a wire '25 the resistance R is connected to an arm 21 rotated by the drive shaft l3a. The arm 21 carries a brush 28 engageable with commutator segments 29 and the brush 28 is timed to engage with the commutator segments 29 synchronously with the passage of index point positions past the analyzing brush 22. Each of the twelve segments 29 is connected by a wire 30 to a related relay magnet 3| only one of the wires 30 being shown connected to a relay magnet 3| in Fig. 1 in view of the duplication of such connections. A wire 32 is connected to one side of the relay magnet 3| and this wire is connected to the line side l6 through a manually operable switch 33 and a resistance R|. Hence, depending upon the occurrence of a perforation at a certain position relay magnet 3| will be energized and the length of time it is energized is dependent upon the duration of contact between brush 22 and contact roller 23 and while for high speed record feeding operations the time is relatively short the relay magnets 3| are fast relays, that is, they require little current and respond to a short time of energization and energize sufficiently to perform functions now to be described.

The particular sorting control mechanism of sorting machines of the type shown in Patent No. 2,123,237 dated July 12, 1938, and in which the present improvement is preferably incorporated,

is capable of sorting cards at extremely high speeds, as high as 800-900 records per minute; It ispreferable to be able to count the number of records sorted and to this end the present invention includes improvements that permits the operation of the counter at the high speeds mentioned, since the former constructions shown in Patents Nos. 1,830,756, 1,944,659 and 1,962,735 were not particularly well qualified to accomplish counting at the high speeds mentioned.

As clearly explained in Patents Nos. 1,944,659 and 1,962,735, the records are sorted into twelve sorting compartments and if not in one of these into a reject pocket. To count the number of cards that are disposed in each compartment each compartment has related therewith a series of wheels 36 which constitute an item counter, that is the units wheels is given a units step of rota- -tion for each card disposed in a related compartment to thereby count the number of cards in each compartment. By suitable transfer mechanis'm, to be more fully described hereinafter, transfers are effective to the wheels of denominational orders above the units.

To control the entry of the units each counter is provided with one relay magnet 3| which upon its energization by the electrical circuit previously described is adapted to attract its related armature 31 which is pivoted at 38. To provide a suitable mounting for the relay magnet 3| a U- shaped' member having a front support plate 39 and a back support plate 40 is secured to a base plate 42 by any suitable means. Attached to the back support plate 40 by screws 4| is a bracket plate 43 which carries a related relay magnet 3|.

A rigid contact blade 44 is secured by any suitable means to the base plate 42 and pivotally' mounted by a pivot stud 45 carried by a block 46 which is fastened to the base plate 42 is an associated contact carrying blade 61. A spring 68 is adapted to rock the contact carrying blade 41 to close contacts 59 carried by said contact blades but this is normally prevented by the engagement of a tail 50 with the free end of the armature 31. However, when the armature 31 is attracted by the cores of relay magnet 3| the right end of the armature 31 will be rocked free of the tail 50 permitting spring 58 to close contacts 49 and such closure will be retained until the contacts 49 are caused to separate by means to be later described.

From the wiring diagram it will be evident that when contacts 43 close, a circuit will be made from the line side l6, through resistance R--|, switch 33, connection 32 to contacts 49, now closed, through the counter control magnet 5|, a wire connection 52, to the line side thereby causing the energization of the control magnet 5|.

The control magnet 5| is attached to the U- shaped support plate 39-40 by a support bracket 53. An armature 53 of the counter control magnet 5| is pivoted to the bracket plate 53 and attached to the armature 54 is a spring 55. The armature 54 carries a recessed-circular element 56 of magnetic material and which is attracted magnetically by the pole piece or core of the counter pawl 60 is beneath a ratchet tooth. the result being that when the armature 56 is attracted by its magnet 5| .pawl 59 will turn the units counter wheel 36 a half step and positioning the operating end 64 of the pawl 60 beneath a lower ratchet tooth. The pawls 59 and 60 are interconnected by a spring which causes the pawls 59 and 60 to bear against the ratchet wheel 58.

At this point in the operation of the machine it should be noted that the passage of the perforation past the analyzing brush 22 transmitted a short impulse to the relay magnet 3| so that the passage of the perforation out of contact with the brush 22 causes the deenergization of magnet 31. Irrespective of the deenergization of magnet 3| contacts 49 were retained closed by spring 88 permitting the counter control magnet 5| to be energized for a longer period of time and for a time dependent upon certain adjustments to be explained more clearly hereinafter.

Attached to the underside of the armature 51 by a screw 66 is a spring plate 61. Attached to the front support plate 39 by screws 68 is a guide plate 69 provided to retain a bar 10 in a slot in the face of the support 39 for a vertical movement said bar 10 having a foot 1| positioned over at extension 12 of the contact blade 41, said extension 12 engaging the foot 1| when the contacl blade 51 is unlatched to close contacts 49.

When the armature 54 is attracted the spring 61' carried thereby in engagement with the up per portion of bar 10 will force the bar 10 downwardly as the armature 54 is rocked.

Since at this time the foot 1| is in contact witl the extension 12 of the contact carrying blade 4' the depression of the bar 10 will cause blade 41 t be rocked against the actionof the spring 48to position to open the contacts 49 and cause the tai 50 to be're-latched by the free end of the arma getherwith the spring blade'61 will restore the armature 54 against the tendencyof any residual magnetism of the core of magnet 5| to retain it attracted.

Since pawl 64 is now beneath the next lower tooth it will turn the ratchet wheel 58 a half step, the full step of movement now being held by a retrograde preventing spring blade 13. An extension 14 of the pawl 60 enters a hole in a rod 15 which serves as a stop to prevent overthrow by means of the operating end 64 of pawl 60 of the ratchet wheel 58.

Obviously, the time that the contacts 49 are opened depends upon the flexure of the blade 61 given by the amount of resistance offered to the blade in depressing bar 10. This is capable of adjustment in the present machine by the preferred'construction now to be described. One end of a spring 80 is attached to a stud 3| car-- ried by the bar 10 and the .upper end of the spring 80 is attached to an ear 82 which is integral with an adjustable plate 83. A stop stud I la attached to the bar'lo coacts with the bottom of edge of guide plate 69 so that by ,the tension in spring 80 the foot ii of bar 10 is normally held so that a slight upward movement of the exten-- sion 12 is permitted before it comes into contactwith the foot 7| of the bar Hi. The plate 83 has a slot 84 receiving a screw 35 passing into the plate 39' so as to permit adjustment'of the plate 83and, therefore, spring 80. In the position shown the spring 89 has its maximum tension so .that spring plate 61 will receive its maximum flexure before contacts 49 open and hence the counter will be operated at the slowest speed.

By. lowering plate 83 the'tension of spring 90 is relaxed, so that the counter operating speed will be decreased. In any case armature 54 will be given a rocking movement sumcient to operatethe unitscounter wheel a full step.

- To efiect transfers from each lower order wheelto the next highest order wheel the following construction is preferably employed.

Each wheel except the highest order wheel is provided with a cam disk 86 against which bears a projection 81 of an arm 33 pivoted at 89 and urgedby a spring 90. The arm 88 carries a pawl 9| in engagement with a ratchet wheel of the next higher order wheel 36. When the e'x-q tension 81 drops off. a high portion of the cam 86 the lower order wheel has passed through zero causing spring 9|) to actuate the arm 88 and pawl 9| to efiect the rotation of the wheel of next higher order one step.

Resetting operations for the wheels 36 may I be carried out by providing shaft 51 with a slot 92 adapted to engage with and pick up pawls 93 secured to the wheels 36 and turn the wheels to zero as the shaft 51 is turned by a crank or some other suitable means. This form of resetting mechanism is so well-known that it is only generally explained.

While not essential to the proper operation of the improved electro magnetically operated operating mechanism, in machines of theltype in which the card may be stoppedwith thecard perforation maintained. in contact with the anafore, to open contacts 49;

From Fig. 1 it will be evident that when the card is stopped with the perforation continuously engaged by the analyzing brush 22 the circuit throughrelay magnet 3| is retained closed to keep the relay magnet 3| energized. The bar 10 rocks the contact blade .41 so as to open,

To effectively guard against this mis-operation the extension 12 of the contact ,blade 41 carries anupper contact and the armature 31 carries insulated therefrom a lower contact 94. By suit- .able wire connections contacts 49 and 94-95 are in shunt and while contacts 94,95 are normally open when armature 31 is elevated to release the contact blade 41, contact 94 is elevated but it will not contact with the contact 95 before the contact blade 41 is unlatched. As the armature 31 strikes the cores of the relay magnet 3| the contact blade '41- now being unlatched will rock to close contacts 49, still further separating contacts 94- -95. Thus, only the contacts 49 close to causethe energization of'the counter control magnet 5|. The counter control magnet 5| will now cause the bar 10 to be depressed, as be- Obviously with a card stopped in a position with the perfora-v tion retained. in continued contact with the analyzing brush 22 the continued energization of relay magnet 3| will cause contact 95 to be held upwardly so thatv as the bar '10 rocks the contact blade 61 toopen contacts 49 the contact 95' will make electrical contact with the contact 94. Hence the circuit through magnet 5| will be retained closed by the contacts 94-95 until by an operation of the machine the card perforation is moved away from the analyzing brush 22 to open the circuit to relay magnet 3|.

When the latter is de-energized its armature -31 will drop to lower the contact 94 and open the circuit to the counter control magnet 5| so that the released armature 54 of the latter can now be elevated to cause the second half-step of operation of the units counter wheel.

While therehas been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devic'ejillustrated and in its operation may be'made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An operating device for a settable registere ing element comprising, magnetically operated means for causing the setting of said settable element, means operated by said magnetically operated means foncontrolling the extent of oper ation of the latter, and means for adjusting the time of operation of the last named means by said magnetically operated means to cause the setting of said element at varying rates of speed of operation. v 2. An operating device for a settable registering element comprising, magnetically operated means including a magnet energized in response to an electrical impulse transmitted to said magnet for causing the setting of said settable element, means whereby said magnetic means causes the deenergization of said magnet, and means for controlling the duration of time of operation of the last named means for varying the duration of time of energization of said magnet zation of said magnet to effect the operation of said settable element at variable speeds.

4. An operating device for a settable registering element comprising, a relay magnet energized in response to an electrical impulse transmitted thereto, relay contacts closed thereby, magnetic means for operating said settable element and operable in response to the closure of said relay contacts, means operated by said magnetic means for subsequently opening said contacts, and means for variably changing the period of operation of the last named means.

5. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a relay magnet having contacts closed by the energization of saidrelay magnet which is effected by transmitting an impulse to said I relay magnet,a settable element, a magnet 'energized by the closure of said contacts, means operated by the energization of said magnet for causing the operation of said settable element,

and means operated by the last-named means for opening said relay contacts to deenergize the second-named magnet.

6. An operating device for a settable registering element comprising, an electrical relay having relay contacts and energized in response to an electrical impulse transmitted thereto to close its contacts, a magnet energized by the closure of said relay contacts for causing the operation of said settable element, means whereby the lastnamed magnet effects the subsequent opening of said contacts, and means for varying the length of time of operation of the last-named means to cause the operation of said settable element at varying rates of speed. i

'7. In a machine of the class described, a magnet and a circuit therefor, an operating means operable in response to the energization of said magnet effected by the closure of the circuit of said magnet to cause its energization, automatically operated means for causing an opening of said circuit after an energization of said magnet, and means for retaining the closure of the cir-. cuit irrespective of the opening of the circuit by an operation of the automatically operated means. v p

8. An operating device for a settable registering" element comprising, electro=magneticaily operated means comprising a magnet which is energized for effecting the operation of said settable element, a magnet energized in response to an electrical impulse for attracting its armature, contacts in the circuit of the first-named magnet, means controlled by said armature when attracted for causing the closure of said contacts to cause theenergization of the first-named magnet, means operated by the first-named -'magnet for opening said contacts whereby said armature if unattracted by the second-named magnet retains the contacts closed, and means controlled by said armature and operable in response to its continued attraction by the secondnamed magnet for causing a continued energi zation of the first-named magnet irrespective of the opening of said contacts.

9. An operating device for a settable registering device comprising, an operating means for a settable element, electrical devices controlling the operation of said means, a relay magnet energized in response to an electrical impulse transmitted thereto for effecting the closing of said electrical devices to cause the operation of the first-named means, means rendered operable by an operation of said operating means for opening said electrical devices to condition the operating means for a subsequent operation, and means operable in. response to the continuous energization of the relay magnet for preventing a subsequent operation of the operating means irrespective of the opening-of said electrical devices.

10. An operating device for a settable registering element comprising, electro-magnetically operated means operable in an operating stroke and a return stroke for causing an operation of said settable element, a relay magnet energized by closure of its circuit and includingan armature having an operative position effected in response to the energization of the relay magnet for causing an operating stroke of the electromagnetically operated means, and means including said armature for preventing a subsequent return stroke in the operation of the electromagnetically operated means as long as said relay magnet is retained energized.

11. An operating device for a settable registering element comprising, electro-magnetically operated means including an electro-magnet which is energized for causing an operation of the settable element, a relay magnet including an armature positioned in response to the energization of the relaymagnet .for energizing said electromagnet for causing an operation of the electromagnetically operated means, and means controlled by said armature and dependent upon the maintained position of said armature effected by a continuous energization of the relay magnet for retaining the electro-magnet of the electromagnetically operated means energized.

- EUGENE A. FORD. 

